Rondo shot 16-for-24 and provided 10 assists and eight rebounds while playing all 53 minutes. Paul Pierce had 21 points and Ray Allen added 13, including a game-tying three-pointer with 34.3 seconds left in regulation. Kevin Garnett chipped in 18 points and eight rebounds but missed 12 of his 18 shots.

After Monday's lopsided Miami win that exposed the aging Celtics' fatigue from a seven-game series that had ended just 48 hours earlier, Boston came out aggressive and looking rested and sharp.

Pierce got his game back, as did Allen, and the Celtics appeared poised to tie the series and take some key momentum back to its home floor for the next two games. But now, just two losses from elimination, Boston fans have to wonder what it takes to beat the younger and more athletic Heat. Taking a punch and bouncing back hasn't necessarily been Miami's strong suit, but it proved otherwise in Wednesday's instant classic.